Traffic engineers say state is cool to Mohegan Sun ramp plan for Palmer

Monday

Jul 22, 2013 at 10:06 PM

Bradford L. Miner, CORRESPONDENT

PALMER — Traffic engineers working on the impact of a Mohegan Sun Massachusetts casino had good news and not-so-good news Monday night for the Town Council.

John E. Thomas of Beals & Thomas civil engineers of Southboro said a meeting earlier in the day with state Department of Transportation engineers was inconclusive, but the state was not at all enthusiastic about flyover options from the Massachusetts Turnpike to the 152-acre hilltop casino site off Thorndike Street.

Mr. Thomas said four options, from a full flyover to an at-grade access to the casino property, were still being considered, but the state's reluctance was based on "Federal Highway Administration criteria."

"Essentially they don't want the appearance of building a private driveway from the turnpike," he explained.

Responding to a question from Councilor Jason Polonsky, Mr. Thomas said there is no way there will be a definitive answer to the casino's "front door" traffic issues before a binding referendum, now likely to be in early October.

Mr. Thomas did say that the Exit 8 turnpike interchange and other interchanges would be revamped by 2017 with the removal of the tollbooth plazas in favor of automatic tolls with sensors on overhead gantries.

Engineers have estimated that 86 percent of the traffic to the casino would come off the turnpike, with the balance arriving via Routes 20, 32 and 181.

Paul E. Brody, vice president of development for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, said 100 percent of the traffic improvements at key intersections throughout the community would be paid for by his company.